A new Fernery from a Mountain of Rocks

 Cooper and Bauhinea corymbosa. Photo by John Simpson

Over the last few days our son John and our friend Martin Leonard have helped Kyleigh move a mountain of rather large pitching rocks (granite we think, rather than our usual basalt) to form a series of new garden beds. Our daughter Eleanor helped as well.  In the area adjacent to our propagating area and previous fernery, under the shade of large trees, Brachychiton acerfolius, Neolitsia and Toona ciliata a series of narrow raised rock beds have been built with a network of gravel paths to become our new Fernery.
The large Privet hedge has been reduced by 2/3 and the fernery building renovated to let in light and restore its usefulness.
Our propagating area is coming back into production as an engine for new and replacement plants. While much more attractive already the rock edged fernery needs the backdrop of the propagation area to be altered to make it more attractive when walking in the garden.
Lots of new growth on epiphytic orchids planted in trees over the fernery area and the large Crinum asiaticum anjacent to the new paths give plenty of visual interest.
In flower at the moment are quite a few things but looking best is the Bauhinea corymbosa along the northern pool fence and embankment which is a blaze of pink and of course the fragrant Trachylspermum jasminoides on a trellis beyond that.
Michael Simpson